Porter acted in a number of films in the 1940s, including Top Sergeant (1942) and Eagle Squadron (1942), but is perhaps best known for his role as the widowed father of Gidget (TV series, 1965). He made numerous television appearances, performing in TV films such as Gidget Goes to Rome (1963), The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975), The President's Mistress (1978), and The Last Song (1980). Porter was married to actress Peggy Converse.